FinMin think tank to roll out to Manesar for annual retreat

Come Friday and the finance ministry think tank will take a break from micro issues, the pile of files and the number crunching and delve into the bigger picture. The setting for the session is way beyond the fortress of North Block, in picturesque Manesar, off Delhi.

As expected, the two day annual retreat of the Department of Economic Affairs officials will be peppered with lectures and brainstorming sessions, sources in the North Block said.

The government’s policies over recent years have borne fruit, as the economy is back on track, having weathered the global crises. Strong domestic factors have kept India chugging along despite the uncertainties and the financial crises of the world over the last two years, reflecting sound management of the economy.

This year, even as the country looks set to return to its trend growth of nine per cent, the key challenges are curbing inflationary pressures, combating global shocks, and indeed striving to take on corruption, after the year 2010 opened a can of scam worms across sectors.

The annual event typically has a central theme and is often spiced up with a ’celebrity’ session. Last year, actor Aamir Khan, fresh from his box office hit ‘3 Idiots’, had addressed the bureaucrats, which may have left them feeling ‘all izz well’ even as the world economy was still staring at financial turmoil.

However, this year’s retreat is likely to give celebrities a miss, sources said. However, key officials from other ministries may be invited to speak.